Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-06-07

ATTACKED BIZ MALAYS.
A THRILLING Renaissance OF THE
CHINA TRADE.


eral years spent in Manila. engaged in
mercantile pursuits. l determined to re.
turn to the United States. and accordingly
engaged passage on board the ship For
ward. then at anchor in the bay and on
the eve of sailing for New York.
Ny preparations were completed. and
seeing that the Forward had her sailing
flag. or blue Peter" as it is termed by
sailors, flying at the fore truck. an indica-
ton that she would sail on the following
day, / went on board and occupied myself
in arranging my baggage in the state
room that had been assigned to me, and
in making such preparations for my COM
fort and convenience as would be required
during the coming voyage.
The Forward was q clipper ship of
about 1900 tons burden, one of that class
OF vessels that gave to American ship
builders Of 30 years ago world wide
reputation. No sailing ships have ever
been built that could outsail them, and
giving the Forward a strong breeze abeam,
which was her best point OF sailing, but
few of the ocean steam racers of the pres
ent day could equal her in speed. With
the long. black hull setting low in the
water. her lofty spars and snow-white
sails. she had the appearance of an i'm
mense yacht. and no man-of-war was ever
kept more scrupulously in order from
truck to keelson.
The ships company consisted of Captain
SeabreeZe. four mates, and a crew of 80
men before the mast The former bore
the unmistakable characteristic of a New
England sailor. A native of Cape Cod.
where so many successful shipmasters
have passed their boyhood, and acquired
taste for seafaring life, he had at an
early age become Injured to the dangers
of the ocean, and now at 20 had command
of one of the finest ships in the China
trade. and was the possessor of the ex-
pcrience and cool judgment of many a
man OF twice his years. One other name
besides mine appeared on the passenger
list-that OF Mrs. Seabreeze, the young
wife of the captain, who was making her
first voyage with her husband, and was
considered less passenger than part of
the complement of the ship.
OF the four sui ordinate officers two were
from the State of Maine. who. commence
ing at the foot of the ladder.-that is,
with the ratings of boys,-had already
and second officers. and were destined ere
long to reach the goal of their ambition
the command of a ship. The crew was
composed OF representatives of nearly all
the maritime nations of the earth A few
Amer cans there were, but the majority
had been attracted, as at the present day,
to service under the "staIs and stripes, -
by better pay, food and treatment than
II at TO which they had been accustomed.
II spite of the many elements of which
the crew were composed. a more harmo.
NOUS set of men is seldom seen, and they
were, withal, thorough sailors. and able
to perform their duty in fair weather or
foul.
The last lighter of hemp. of which
the cargo principally consisted, had been
received, the stevedore's men had gone
on shore. matches were closed and caulked
down. and the usual preparations for sea
were in progress during this last day OF
our stay in port. New rigging was sent
aloit in place of old, old sails bent to save
the wear of better ones during the passage
among the islands where only moderate
winds might be expected. Boats we've
dashed in their cradles. and chatting gear
secured to the ropes aloft wherever
damage was liable to occur by the con-
tact OF one rope with another. All was
haste and confusion, and to one not
acquainted with the nomenclature OF the
different ropes and sails, or accustomed
to the strange orders of the officers as
they directed the men in their work, il
was a scene of the utmost confusion.
All these preparations were at length
completed, and by pightfall silence regned
throughout the ship, broken only by the
changing of the bells as the half hom
were noted. the regular call of the sentry
on board the Spanish gunboat near by, OF
his occasional challenge as boat ap.
preached the vessel. At daylight the
following morning l was awakened by the
clank of the windlass as the crew were
heaving up the anchor, and their accom-
paning song. Then came the orders for
loosipg and setting the sails. the dull thud
If the topsails as they fell from
the yards, the throwing of coils OF rope on
the deck over my head and the trampling
of many feet, followed by the gentle ca.
reening of the ship as the sails filed to
the breeze; and by sunrise the city was
lost to view in the morning mist. and the
Forward. under the influence of the land
breeze. was moving through the water at
the rate of eight knots an hour.
The northeast monsoon. or trade-wind
OF the China sea, which had been blowing
during the previous six months, was about
to change its direction to the southwest at
the time OF which write. and to avoid the
consequent variable or head-winds, Cap
tain Seabreeze determined to take the
more easterly route leading through the
Sooloo Archipelago and Sea of Celebes,
thence through the Straits of Macassar
and the Java sea to the Indian ocean. On
the morning OF the fourth day after sailing,
the Forward was nearing the chain of is
lands of which the Archipelago is COM
posed, and through one of the narrow pas
sages which it was necessary to pass
before entering the Sea of Ceiebes Few
localities at that time presented greater
dangers to the navigator. Not only was
he beset by treacherous and uncertain chr
rents. but in case of disaster was at the
mercy of the inhabitants of the neighbor
ing islands, who added to the fisberman's
craft the trade of piracy for livelihood
These facts were we'll known to all or
board. and it was with a feeling OF salts
faction that observed the care that wa.
exercised in the navigation of the ship
and that lookout man was stationed alof
during the day with orders to report the
appearance of any vessel or native boat
however small or unimportant it nigh